2019 Japanese animated film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) in Pittsburgh, June 13 and 15.

The 2019 Japanese animated film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) will play in Pittsburgh on June 13 and 15 as part of this year's GKIDS series. A synopsis from the distributor:

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. The June 13 show is dubbed in English while the June 15 show is in Japanese with English subtitles.

"Inside Out" with Bento Boombox, August 19 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

Illustration by Christina Lee.

The Carnegie Museum of Art is hosting a series of "Inside Out" outdoors music events this summer, and the August 19 installment will feature Bento Boombox, "a dance party focused on the fusion of American and Asian hip hop, electronic, and high energy dance music."

On Thursday, August 19, enjoy happy hour in the museum's outdoor sculpture courtyard with a DJ set emphasizing Asian hip-hop and electronic music by Bento Boombox.

Bring your appetite, too! Regional food trucks and a bar created by Café Carnegie offering custom snacks, kid-friendly treats, local beers, delicious wines, and more will be on-site.

While you’re at Inside Out, participate in art-making activities for all ages.

Inside Out events are FREE, open to all ages, have limited capacity, and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Make a day of it and reserve your timed tickets to visit the museum before or after you enjoy Inside Out!

It runs from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and is free and open to the public. The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.

Wild Illuminations, preview of Asian Lantern Festival, August 13 at Pittsburgh Zoo.

The Pittsburgh Zoo will host "Wild Illuminations" on August 13, a preview of the Asian Lantern Festival that will open on August 14th.

Illuminating the Pittsburgh skyline with the glow of colossal animal-themed lantern installations, the Zoo will shine a light on conservation during the Wild Illuminations Soiree. Celebrate in wild style at this exclusive preview party to our Asian Lantern Festival.

Stroll through the Zoo delighting in the glow of the lanterns. Dine on delectable Asian-inspired dishes from the region’s premier restaurants and the Zoo’s catering company, Taste. Celebrate Asian culture while enjoying performances and artisans from the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Japan America Society of Pennsylvania.

Purchase tickets during our pre-sale now through June 7 for a special price of $150 per ticket. Food and beverage tickets included in event price. Event is not black-tie; dress attire is summer chic with a tropical flair. All guests must be 21 years or older to attend and proper ID will be required. Additional COVID restrictions may apply, based upon local and state mandates.

The event runs from 6:30 to 11 pm. Tickets are available at $150 per person through the 7th, and $200 per person after.

Asian grocery chain (no, not H-Mart) among possible new tenants for Hill District's vacant Shop n' Save space.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes Fresh International Market is among the new tenants interested in the Hill District's vacant Shop n' Save space.

Fresh International Market is believed to be one of the two groceries that submitted a proposal to the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority to operate a store in the Hill, the Post-Gazette has learned.

The chain operates stores in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana and has others in the works in Raleigh, N.C., and St. Louis.

On its website, Fresh International Market bills itself as an “authentic Asian grocery for the most passionate food explorer.”

Virtual Poetry Reading: "Cleave" by Tiana Nobile w/ Diana Khoi Nguyen ("Ghost Of"), June 11 (online) with White Whale Bookstore.

White Whale Bookstore presents Virtual Poetry Reading: "Cleave" by Tiana Nobile w/ Diana Khoi Nguyen ("Ghost Of") on June 11.

We’re excited and grateful to be on Tiana Nobile’s virtual tour for her collection of poems, Cleave (Hub City Press)! She’ll be joined by local poet and professor, Diana Khoi Nguyen (Ghost Of, Omnidawn) for a reading.

Both poets’ books are available on our Bookshop.org list for recent and upcoming events. Check out our curated lists and picks on our main Bookshop.org affiliate page, or use the search bar in the upper center-right to look for any book. (Using the book's ISBN usually works best.)

"In Tiana Nobile's wonderful Cleave, the condition of the Korean-American adoptee is that of a wandering orbitless moon. The speaker fills the absence of her birth mother with aching questions of home, motherhood, and selfhood. Using the scant documentation she has with her deeply felt imagination, Nobile obsessively revisits the mystery of her birth until she creates her own mythic origin story that is beautiful, melancholic and powerful. Tiana Nobile is a bright new talent." —Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning

The event starts at 7:00 pm. Tickets are available until 6:30 pm on the 11th at free and pay-what-you-can pricepoints.

CMU student recruiting (paid) participants for Japanese Word-Guessing Study.

Christine Shi, a PhD student in Carnegie Mellon University's Second Language Acquisition program is recruiting participants in a Japanese Word-Guessing Study. Participants will be compensated $20 per hour; to be eligible, they: must be 18 years old; must be native English speakers, must not have any knowledge of Korean, Vietnamese, or Chinese; must not be non-heritage Japanese learners; and must have studied Japanese for more than two semesters.

2020 Japanese animated movie Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song (劇場版「Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]」III.spring song) in Pittsburgh, July 18 and 20.

The 2020 Japanese animated movie Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song (劇場版「Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]」III.spring song) will play in Pittsburgh July 18 and 20. From the distributor:

The thrilling Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] trilogy comes to its incredible conclusion with the release of the final chapter, Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song, on the big screen!

"Faces of Pittsburgh: Cookie Decorating Workshop" with Jasmine Cho, June 12 in Hazelwood.

Hazelwood Local will host Jasmine Cho on June 12 for an in-person "Faces of Pittsburgh: Cookie Decorating Workshop."

Get to know your neighborhood’s history in the most creative--and delicious way ever: cookies!
Start your Saturday morning off like a champ with a talk and cookie workshop highlighting Hazelwood native Herb Douglas led by local artist and author Jasmine M. Cho.
Internationally recognized for her cookie art that focuses on elevating the histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Jasmine will share her personal story and journey into cookie activism and then teach attendees how to paint their own cookies.
Attendees will each receive their own champion-themed cookie kit featuring a portrait cookie of Herb Douglas. Join us to paint, learn, and snack your way into the weekend!
Light bites and refreshments will be available.
The event is family-friendly and RSVP is required as space is limited.

The event runs from 10:00 to 12:00 pm at The Woods House (map). It's free but pre-registration is required.

Fundraiser underway for bronze marker for Pittsburgh's historic Chinatown.

The Organization of Chinese Americans is holding an online fundraiser for the purchase of a bronze plaque to mark Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was recently awarded a state historical marker.

After 12 long years and 4 separate attempts, non-profit OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates of Pittsburgh has finally succeeded in getting official Pennsylvania historical landmark status for Downtown’s old Pittsburgh Chinatown! You can help us complete this project! We need $5000 to complete the bronze plaque made to the state’s specifications describing the designation. We hope to have a celebratory event this September in person!

"Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Cook-Along: Building Power One Meal at a Time," June 5.

APALA Pittsburgh will present the second of a two-part Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Cook-Along with local AAPI chefs, online June 5.

Chef Teodora Schipper ran restaurants in both Pittsburgh and Palawan before she retired. Teodora did cooking shows for Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Carnegie Science Center with Lyn Parucci and The Anne Devlin Show on the WTAE channel.

All ticket sale and proceeds from the event will go to APALA Pittsburgh's COVID cash assistance fund that will support Asian, Asian American or Pacific Islander workers who experience hardship and are excluded from federal relief programs.

Last year APALA Pittsburgh distributed $65,400 in cash assistance to more than 70 families. We provided relief for restaurant workers who were laid off of faced heavily reduced hours but were unable to file for unemployment or receive stimulus checks. We provided relief for graduate student workers who continued to prep for classes and teach undergraduate students but lost part of their income.

Registration for the 6pm is required and the events is free, though donations are encouraged.